User blog:Hellbeast1/Justice League: The Hellbeast Cut
Heya everyone, now I'm sure you've noticed how big the superhero genre's gotten in the recent years. What was once a cinematic black sheep has now become what might be the highest grossing genre in years, with new installments of the MCU coming out every year as box office titans on par with Star Wars. Now naturally a lot of people have tried replicating the success of pop culture giants like the Avengers franchise and the very successful formula that made it possible, the cinematic universe, some successfully (Conjuring, MonsterVerse also seems to be doing alright as well) and others not so much (Dark universe, shudders). But one franchise I felt should have been huge is the DCEU, adaptations of some of the most famous of superheroes, legends of the genre like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. However it never really did well critically or financially so far (Except for WW), with a combination of questionable decisions, studio meddling and uncertain planning being contributors to an unloved project. Now as a fan of DC who wants to see them thrive I've long since been spitballing how DC could have made their franchise hugely popular and eventually I started writing about how I would have done some stories differently, starting with Justice League. Honestly I feel this film had the basis for a good plot and I'm just going to try and build on it's strengths by using supposed elements from the mythical Snyder Cut, George Miller's defunct JL: Mortal, classic DC material, ideas by fellow fans and a hefty dose of my own ideas. Now I'll be making some changes to the lore of the DCEU proper, some of which may be a bit game changing (Superman's not dead, Batman hasn't met him before etc) Occasionally I'll be stopping the action to provide a bolded notation to explain certain choices I've made in this story and talking about how they might pay off. With that said let's get right into the story proper. An Age of Legend “Long ago, in an age undreamed of, forgotten by all who did not bear witness, was a war unlike any other” NOTE: Come on did you think I wouldn’t open with the LOTR homage scene? (for real though, great scene and we’ll be seeing different perspectives for the events transpiring here over the film’s course) The voice of the legendary Amazonian queen Hippolyta spoke, regaling the tale that inspired so many Amazons who were too young to have experienced the horrific war against the Horned God (something the veterans of Themyscira prayed to whatever Gods still called the Heavens home they never did) The mythical monarch of Amazonia’s tone grew serious as it all returned to her memory worth millennia of knowledge and experience, the bloodshed, the horror and the barbarism of the war that was unlike even the most depraved that Mankind ever fought. “It was in this conflict that we were faced with a threat unlike any other, one only rivalled by the fallen War God himself. An unspeakable evil from beyond the heavens of Zeus came, bringing with it machines of war so diabolical that whole armies, nay worlds were turned to cinder” In this moment we see flashes of other realms conquered by this apocalyptic horde, a world inhabited by men of steel being bathed by unholy rains of flame, the once radiant skies of the colony being blotted out by what seemed to be a cloud of sheer blackness, but in reality was but a swarm of winged demons of flesh and steel descending upon the beleaguered planet below, the people ran in sheer terror, the exquisite scent of fear apparent to the merciless imps on high but one man stood armed, a shield between the foul hordes of a hellscape beyond his solar system and his very own flesh and blood, a shield desperately trying to provide protection from the apocalypse above. The brave Kryptonian’s face turns to a face of sheer, unadulterated terror, dropping his weapon and being transfigured into a quivering mass of flesh before the face of the monster that had besieged his world, the being’s shadow covering the man and his fearful family in a blanket of shadow before, in a flash of eldritch light the colour of blood spilt by the most callous of means, the fearful inhabitant is turned to stone, a grim monument to the cruelty of a Dark God. NOTE: If you’re memory is really good you’ll probably recognise this as the Kryptonian colony Zod goes to way back in Man of Steel. It just felt natural to me that this place got attacked by Apokalips “This legion marched across the stars, crushing armies, murdering whole race and end whole worlds. Hippolyta continued, recounting the horror stories she heard from a defender and dear friend who saw the devastation wrought by such legions first hand. We then see other worlds ravaged by the same dreaded armies, an army of strange beings of monstrous proportion and skin as white as the first snows that fall in the onset of winter cut down by the scarlet bolts of plasma fired from merciless hands, men women and children all being prey for the animalistic savagery of the invaders. On another world an army of emerald armored beings of all shapes and sizes battled with invaders, using their mythical rings to conjure of manner of weaponry and commanding cosmic energies of unfathomed potency. But even these courageous challengers were crushed by the coming hordes, with one such Lantern being killed by an axe so monstrous and grotesque that calling it infernal would be a most severe understatement, crackling flames hotter than a solar flare ignited along it’s foul blade before it was flung, as if by some foul and unseen power back to the hands of its wielder. Hippolyta continued her tale once again. “Then they came here, legions of winged Parademons, nightmarish abominations who feed on fear itself” The horrific visage of the extraterrestrial monstrosity flashed back into her mind, it’s teeth sharpened into fine points for tearing into flesh like a wild beast, arms that commanded the strength of ten men but most terrifying to Hippolyta were the eyes, red pits that glowed as if lit by the flames of Tartarus itself and possessed of a madness that would strike terror into the hearts of men as they swooped down from skies turned infernal, tearing their prey from their posts and homes alike, with their numbering in the thousands, with every Parademon slain being followed by ten all too eager to take their fallen brother’s place. “Gods of a distant sphere known to many as the end of days, who crushed whole worlds to dust in their hands” Hippolyta recalled such deities, one with armor as red as a raging fire, charging her sisters with a dark chain forged in the fiery pits of his birth world topped with a gruesome looking axe as he began swinging the deplorable tool of war as comfortably as a lesser being takes a breath, the weapon almost being a part of it’s master’s very body. Next to him charged one of his unholy brethren, charging and bellowing like a wild boar, the God’s truly immense frame and herculean strength to match brutally crushing friend and foe alike in his blood drunk wrath, his face lined by a mane as black as night filled with the glee only experienced by those most gripped by lunacy. A second voice continues then appears, seemingly being conjured from the aether, continuing the tale she knew by heart, the tale her mother told her every single night. “But the most feared of all was their leader” the voice belonging to Diana of Themyscira uttered. NOTE: Nice little homage to Wonder Woman where the story is told first by Hippolyta and then Antiope (Seriously look it up) “They called him Steppenwolf, the End of Worlds”. Immediately she could imagine the flames of war projecting dark shadows cast by the monolithic Horned God, a mirage of sheer hellish proportions and a dark portent for all who saw. His eyes were cold silver lights, piercing through the smoke and the souls of men alike, his horns making him appear like some apparition of war, his axe glowing with flaming light like a hellish beacon. Behind him stood his armies, marching forward through the smoke and ashes toward their hellish purpose. NOTE: We don’t quite see Steppenwolf in this scene as he’s more obscured by the smoke from the fire but we do get shot from his boots (Like when Salazar was introduced in the new Pirates film) as well as from some over the shoulder type shots His feet cracked the charred Earth with every step before contemptously crushing some unfortunate victim underfoot before swinging his fearsome Electro Axe, cutting into the flesh of an ancient Amazon, the strike so mighty that the poor being was thrown from the conqueror’s path, every bone shattering in a quick but painful death for the foolhardy warrior. The General of Apokalips then gripped a warrior of man by his throat, dangling him above the ground before crushing his neck as easily without exertion and then throwing the corpse into another who charged Steppenwolf. “He lived only to conquer, whole worlds fell before his wrath, his axe coated with the blood of the millions who fell before him or worse, rose again as his soldiers” The Warlord then held his axe on high, foul power crackling from it’s blade as the combatants he just butchered contorted into foul shapes, their teeth sharpening, wings growing from their backs before finally taking flight and turning against their former allies, one even tackling a comrade and savaging him with it’s claws. The New God then struck the Earth with his Electro Axe, wounding the battlefield itself and causing a vast number of cracks that radiated out from the gargantuan deity, molten magma erupting from the subterranean caverns below the surface as if it were blood spurting from a grisly wound. Diana’s recollection of the legend continued “To conquer our world, Steppenwolf called upon powers beyond imagining, powers that turned entire oceans to steam and shook the Earth’s itself. We should have died. But we didn’t, we carved our own fates” Diana imagined vast legions of defenders from all corners of the wide world, some from northern lands with great horns, some from the lands of Sparta, and some so exotic Diana did not know from whence they came, charging right into the molten heart of the hellscape, Amazons on horseback firing their arrows and cutting down Parademons in their way with heavy casualties but making no dent in the seemingly innumerable waves of Parademon, Men from the four corners of the Earth laying down their lives valiantly to fight back” We see warriors of all colours and looks being butchered by Patrademons and New Gods but they bravely keep fighting. “We forged an alliance, a unity to resist Steppenwolf’s advance, Atlanteans, Amazons and all the tribes of Mankind” The chosen people of Poseidon, led by their king charged from their ships to join the fray. The great legions of all combatants dotting the battlefield, charging into each other with abandon. ‘Warriors of legend took to the field, implacable foes became begrudging brothers in arms, allies from other worlds, even the Gods of Old all marched to war, fighting as one to drive Steppenwolf back from the Earth.” The great Hippolyta charges into the fray alongside her soldiers with her sister Antiope leaping from her horse and impaling a Parademon with her spear. An old man with a staff carved from divine oak conjured great winds and bolts of thunder, smiting both Parademon and New God, flanked by a truly titanic man wearing a lion’s skin as impervious armor. The giant turns to a nearby tree and using all his might rips it from it's roots and charges the Parademons ahead of him. Descending from the Heavens themselves came a superhumanly tall woman, shooting arrows the colour of moonlight into the Apokaliptian vessels looming over the field causing them to crash down to the ground. Joining her was her brother, the God of War, putting aside his conflict with Zeus to join with his brothers and sisters to defeat a common foe. With blades in hand, the skull clad war god charged into the fray, cutting down the red armored New God before turning his sights onto his maned compatriot. The maned New God then charged the son of Zeus as the God of Conflict summons an axe of immense size before making a mighty swing. Above this clash of the gods was a blur of green and red, a hero from another world overpowering Parademons with ease and using his great strength to help his newly found comrades push forward. Steppenwolf however, was one that would not be deterred by this and he continued to butcher many an opponent, with a winged man and woman lying dead in his shadow, their maces broken. However out of nowhere Zeus shot a blast of thunder from his fingers, the crackling bolts of electricity knocking Steppenwolf back before Zeus leaps into the air and, rocketing down like the lightning he commands strikes his enemy with all the power he commands. The voice of Diana then cuts back in to tell of Steppenwolf’s retreat. “Some say it drove him mad, the disgrace of his first defeat. He claimed that our alliance would crumble and that when it did he would return to finish what he started.” Steppenwolf bellowing threats and expletives in languages unknown to his foes is seen, still being shocked by Zeus’ lightning, being dragged into his ship by his Parademons (Mnay of which he tosses aside in his rage) “Then the King of the Gods, using his arcane power, imprisoned the evil Steppenwolf conjured, sealing it within items of Steppenwolf’s making - Mother Boxes. But all knew that the Boxes were far too powerful to be allowed to stay together, fearing that it’s contents escape could spell doom for all things that walk the Earth.” We see the victors taking the wounded off the field with the bested Parademons and fallen heroes dotting the battlefield as Zeus’s hands glow with a golden light as he grabbed ethereal energy. Hippolyta brings him the Boxes which he tosses the energy into before all the survivors stare at the cubes with looks of puzzlement as what to do with them. Ares takes off his helmet, deep in thought and the Atlantean king uses his trident as a staff to hold him up as he was wounded in the battle. “And so the Boxes were separated, one given to the Amazons who locked it way under armed guard, one was given to the Atlanteans who hid it within their vast fortress and one to Mankind who, feared it could destroy them all simply buried it deep within the desert sands of a distant land so none could command it’s terrible power.” We see Hippolyta have the Box chained up in a deep cave guarded by the Amazons’ best, the iron cast gates shutting with a clang behind her. The king of Atlantis meanwhile has it placed within a sarcophagus wrapped in chains and finally we cut to Man, who buries it in the sunkissed desert of the nation that would one day become Kahndahq as the screen fades to black. “But now…''' that ends'” A new voice speaks, a male voice in contrast to the first two, it’s voice deep and aged as if it has seen a thousand worlds but commanding great strength and an immense sense of confidence. We cut to see space, a black canvas host to an ocean of stars, the Earth a blue island in this black vastness. Then, coming into view is a dark vessel, as graceful as it is imposing, it’s sleek but powerful design cutting through the blackness of space like a blade through the air's chill. Carried upon the cosmic winds for millennia, this dark ship has travelled long but now it’s destination is found, its purpose within reach of being fulfilled. Cutting to inside the ship we see a vast buzzing of activity, Parademons swarming about like insects within some colossal nest of star forged metal. In front of the viewing screen, facing the Earth we see the silhouette of the ship’s commander, his robust armor appearing as a statue, his vastness dwarfing the Parademons and his cold, pale eyes fixated upon this blue planet he has waited to return to for so very long. The voice of the Horned God then continues “Finally, after millennia in exile you call to me, at last you cry out for my help and I will claim what was stolen from me." The New God clenched a fist, remembering his defeat all those years ago and what it cost him. “Now I will '''not' be denied. I will free you and together we shall cleanse this world and take back what is ours." The figure stood attentive, as if a wolf who had trapped his prey and whose maw was about to snare it’s target. “The Earth stands alone, it's people have grown weak and forgotten my name. They are unprepared. They will see my legions and choose their fate, they may run, they may hide, they may fight and I will expect nothing less of them. But it will be of no help, this will only serve to entertain me before they learn the truth. There are no protectors here. No Lanterns. No Kryptonians. Then this world will fall.' '''Like all '''the others'. We then pan out seeing the vast numbers of Parademons, flying and gliding, gathering weapons as if they were bees in a hive set to take the harvest of terror the war would sow. To be continued Category:Blog posts